Soap-crutching sviaghine



(No Model.)

P. B. 8v S. C. STRUNZ. SOAP GRUTGHING MACHINE.

No. 604,671.v Patented May 24,1898,4

arEN'r Enron,

FREDERICK B. STRUNZ AND STEPHEN C. STRUNZ, OF PITTSBURG PENNSYLVANIA.

SOAP-CHUTCl-HNG MACHENE.

SPECIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 604,671, dated May 24,1898.

Application filed August 30, 1897. ASerial No. 649,973. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, FREDERICK B. STRUNZ and STEPHEN C. STRUNZ, citizensof the United States, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Alleghenyand State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Soap-Crutching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to soap-crutching machines or machines used inthe manufacture of soap for stirring or mixing the necessary chemicalswith the soap while in a fluid or semifluid condition, and is inthe'nature of an improvement on the type of machine shown and describedin Letters Patent No. 138,953, granted to Stephen Strunz on the 13th dayof May, 1873. The type of machine shown and described in said patentcomprises a cylindrical vessel inclosed by a water-cooling jacket andprovided with a rotary dasher or mixer consisting of a shaft having aspiral circumferential groove, in which are set the inner ends ofpaddles and each fastened therein by a projecting tang and nut. In sucha machine when the soapin the vessel was cooled by admitting water intothe cooling-jacket the soap upon the interior of the vessel becamechilled and caked and formed a resistance to the rotation of thepaddles,which frequent] y caused the latter to break off at the weakfastening between the paddles and shaft, causing great trouble andannoyance and loss of time, as well as involving expense in repairs.Furthermore, when a paddle broke olf in this manner it usually carriedseveral other paddles with it, and this occurred so frequently that manysoap manufacturers were compelled to cease using the machine, though byits aid they had been able to produce'a better-iinished soap than by anyother means. Furthermore, on account of the weakness of the fasi teningbetween the paddles and the shaft the paddles could not be ,extended tothe interior wall of the vessel, so as to be inr'actual contact with thecooling-surface; but, on the contrary, it was necessary to make thepaddles of such length that a space would intervene between their endsand the interior Walls of the vessel, and hence when water was admittedto the cooling-jacket a coating means of which the defects anddisadvantages'above pointed out are avoided.

To this end our invention consists in the novel construction hereinafterdescribed and afterward particularly pointed out in the claims followingthe description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forminga part of this speciiicatiomwherein- Figure l is a transversesection of our improved crutching-machine, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of the same.

Referringto the drawings, the numeral l indicates a horizontalcylindrical vessel which is inclosed by a water-jacket 2, having aninlet-pipe 3 and outlet-pipe 4, by means of which a circulation of watermay be maintained through the water-jacket for the purpose of coolingthe soap. Journaled in stuffing-boxes 5 in the ends of the vessel l is ashaft 6, consisting of a metallic bar square in cross-section andtorsionally twisted in such manner as to make slightly more than onecomplete turn. The bar thus presents perfectly square faces, to whichthe ends of the paddles 7 are firmly fastened by bolts 8. The flat faceto which the paddles are bolted affords a rln seat or bearing for thepaddles, and the torsional twist causes .them to assume a spiralposition. This construction affords a very strong and secure fasteningbetween the paddles and the shaft. To the end of each paddle is bolted ascraper consisting of a flat plate 9, preferably formed from tool-steeland slitted longitudinally to increase its resiliency or flexibility.The ends of the Scrapers 9 are in close contact with the interior of thevessel 1, and the paddles are so spaced that each scraper will travel ina path immediately adjacent to the path traversed by the IOO precedingscraper. By these means every portion of the inner periphery of thevessel 1 Will be thoroughly scraped and the soap be thus prevented fromcaking when the Water is caused to circulate through the coolingchamber.

One end of the shaft 6 extends beyond the end of the Vessel l and hasiixed thereon a pulley 10, by means of Which the machine is driven fromany suitable source of power.

Having described our invention, what We claim isl. In a soap-crutchingmachine, the combination With a cylindrical vessel, of a shaft journaledcentrallytherein and consisting of a torsionally-twisted bar square incross-section, and a plurality of flat paddles having their inner flatsides seated upon one of the flat faces of said shaft and securedthereto by bolts passing transversely through the shaft and paddles,substantially as described.

2. In a soap-crutching machine, the combination with a cylindricalvessel inclosed by a Water-jacket, of a shaft journaled centrallytherein, a plurality of flat radial paddles arranged spirally about saidshaft and fastened thereto at their inner ends, and resilientscraper-blades fixed on the outer ends of the paddles and resting inintimate contact With the interior of the vessel, the paddles being soarranged that each scraper Will travel in a path immediately adjacent tothe path traversed by the preceding scraper, whereby the interior of thevessel is thoroughly scraped and the soap prevented from cakin g,substantially as described.

3. In a soap-crutching machine, the combination with a cylindricalvessel, of a shaft journaled centrally therein and carrying a pluralityof paddles, and longitudinally-slitted metallic scraper-blades attachedto the outer ends of the paddles and resting in contact with theinterior of the vessel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FREDERICK B. STRUNZ. STEPHEN C. STRUN Z. Vvlitnesses:

IVI. J. WENKE,

HENRY MELLER.

